Blackboard



April 23, 1929. J. 1.. LiNGLE 1,710,630

BLACKBOARD FiledMarch 17, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1 W1 (Izzy/g2 J. L. LINGLE BLACKBOARD April 23, 1929.

Filed March 17, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wk 7, A m

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Patented Apr. 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES JAMES L. LINGLE, OF HQAXTUN, COLORADO.

BLACKBOABD.

Application filed larch 17, 1927 Serial No. 176,121.

This invention aims to provide novel means whereby a long flexible stri of matcrial, such as paper, may be ro led and handled conveniently, the device being adapted to be used to handle a sheet of paper in the place of an ordinary blackboard, upon which chalk is used.

It within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains.

\V'ith the above and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows in front elevation, at device constructed in accorihmce with the invention V T Figure 2 an end elevation;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4--4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmental top plan illus trating the latch mechanism;

Figure 6 is a sectional view illustrating the means whereby the operating wheels are held on the shafts or rollers;

Figure 7 is a fragmental elevation showing a portion of one of the side wings;

Figure 8 is a transverse section taken through one of the rollers.

The device forming the subject matter of this application may be made of any desired material, such as li ht metal. It includes a box-like rear mem er 1 which is open at the front and at the bottom. The member 1 includes a back 2, a top 3 and sides 4. In the forward edges of the sides 4 there are bearing notches 5. Suspension hooks 6 are mounted 011 the back 2 and overhang the top 3, the suspension hooks 6 are adapted to be engaged with a rod 7, or with any other convenient object to hold up the device in convenient position before the pupils in a school-room. Forwardly extended latches 8, in the form of spring tongues, are located near to the upper end of the box-like rear member 1 and are secured at 9 to the sides 4. At their forward ends, the latches 8 have studs 10 adapted to be received in openings 11 which are formed in the sides 4.

The device includes a trough-shaped forward member 12 including a front 14 and side wings 15. The front 14 at its upper and lower ed es is extended backwardly to form curved rec-edged transverse guides 22. At their rear edges, the side wings 15 are provided with longitudinal stiffening beads 16. The stiffening beads not only reinforce the side wings 15, but they have another purpose which will be explained hereinafter. The front 14 is set back from the forward edges of the wings 15, to form double-walled retaining flanges 17. In the rear edges of the side wings 15 thereare bearing notches 18 which are supplemental to the bearing notches 5 in the sides 4 of the rear member 1. The side wings 15 of the forward member 12 lie on the outside of the sides 4 of the member 1, the parts4 and 15 being connected by pivot elements 19 located near to the lower end of the device as Figure 3, for instance, will show. The side wings 15 have openings 20 which are ada ted to be alinedwith the openings 11 in tie sides 4, and when the openings are alined as aforesaid, they are adapted to receive the studs 10 on the latches 8, the forward member 12 bein held in the position shown in Fi ure 3, wlth respect to the rear member 1. e

beads 16 on the side wings 15 of the forward member 12 en age the latches 8 and hold them, at their orward ends, in spaced relation, as shown at 21, with respect to the side wings 15 of the forward member 12. It is possible, therefore, for an operator to thrust a finger behind the free forward ends of the latches 8, in order to withdraw the latches from the registering openin s 20 and 11, thereby to permit the forwar member 12 to be swung downwardly on the pivot elements 19.

Rollers are provided and have reduced ends 24, the rollers bein marked by the numeral 23. The reduced ends 24 of the rollers 23 are received for rotation in the cooperating notches 18 of the wings 15 and the corresponding notches 5 of the sides 4. \Vheels 25 are held by retaining plates 26 and securing elements 27 on the reduced ends 24 of the rollers 23, at one side of the device, as shown, for instance, in Figure 1. The

rollers 23 have longitudinal grooves 28 in which are received metal rods 29. The rods 29 hold the ends of a strip 30 on the rollers. It is necessary merely to place the rods 29 across the strip 30, and introduce the rods and the strip into the grooves 28, as shown in Figure 6. When the rollers 23 have been given a turn or two, the strip 30 will hold the rods 29 in the grooves 28, and the rods, in their turn, will hold the ends of the strip 30 on the rollers. The strip 30, which may be made of paper, passes over the guides 22, out of the open upper and lower ends on the trough-shaped forward members 12, and across the front 14 of the forward member, between the retaining flanges 17, in a way which will be understood clearly when Figures 3 and 4 are examined. By turning either of the rollers 23 through the instrumentality of the appropriate Wheel 25, the paper strip 30 may be wound upon one roll, thereby presenting a fresh length of the strip in front of the member 14, to be written upon. When one side of the strip is marked up or soiled, throughout the entire length of the strip, the casing may be opened on the pivot elements 19 and the 'rolls 23 may be reversed, so as to dispose the clean side of the strip outwardly upon the front 14 of the trough-shaped member 12. The device is simple in construction but it fills an important need, in that it makes the ordinary blackboard unnecessary, it being a matter of common knowledge that the use of a blackboard and chalk is undesirable and to be avoided Wherever possible. The paper that goes to make up the strip 30 may be of any desired color. Although the article is intended primarily to replace blackboards, it may be used also for the display of maps and the like.

What is claimed is In a bearing, a casing comprising a boxlike rear member made up of a top, a back, and sides having notches which serve as bearings adapted to support rollers; a trough shaped forward member comprising side wings and a nut, the forward member bein open at its ends, the side wings being over apped upon the sides of the rear member; collars journaled in the bearing notches and located beneath the top, the rollers be ingaccessible from the open ends of the forward member of the casing, pivot elements located near to the bottom of the easing and connecting the side wings of the forward member with the sides of the rear member, the pivot elements permitting the forward member to be swung downwardly with respect to the rear member, thereby to allow the rollers to be placed in the notches, means for releasably holding the forward member from swinging with respect to the rear member on the pivot elements, and mechanism assembled with the rear member for supporting the bearing in such posit-ion that the fin-ward member may be swung downwardly, when the last specified means is released as aforesaid.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature.

JAMES L. LIN GLE. 

